But Freddie Flintoff had his head very much in the clouds when he came to Huddersfield as part of a new TV series.

The cricket ace turned TV presenter soared high above the town on a trip to the top of Emley Moor television mast, along with co-presenter Rob Penn, as part of a new series due to launch this week called Flintoff: Lord of the Fries.

Since childhood, Flintoff said he had fantasised about running his own fish and chip shop. Now his dream is about to become reality as he embarks on a most unusual summer adventure.

He said: “Fish and chips have always been one of my biggest vices believe it or not so I’m glad that Sky 1 have given me the chance to go on my very own Fish n’ Chip adventure.

“Rob and I had a once in a lifetime experience cycling through the Amazon so I’m hoping this chip shop van journey will be just as much fun but maybe a little less sore.”

The series on Sky 1 will see the former England cricket captain team up with tree-hugging extreme-cyclist Penn as they hit the road, touring Britain and Ireland in Fred’s very own, eco-friendly, cooking-fat-fuelled mobile chippy.

Freddie Flintoff (left) and Rob Penn (right) on top of the mast with Mick Moorhouse

They will seek out hidden gems from Giants Causeway to Britain’s most picturesque motorway services; from beautiful Whitby teeming with summer visitors to the remote mud flats of Essex.

And that took them to the top of the mast, along with former Emley cricketer Mick Moorhouse, who works as a maintenance engineer for Arqiva, which owns the towering structure.

Batsman Mick played cricket for many years with the village team, along with former Yorkshire star Matthew Wood, and swapped a few cricketing tales with Flintoff as they made the 15-minute journey by lift up the mast.

Once at the top, the TV duo admired the stunning views and got to climb out on to the outside of the mast through the engineering inspection hatch.

“They’d parked their mobile chippy in the lay-by outside the station and they loved being up the mast,” said Mick.

“I pointed out many of the landmarks, including the Emley ground and Matthew Wood’s home, and we used binoculars to take in the view.

“It was a beautiful clear day and the views were stunning. Freddie leaned over the edge from the top and loved being there.

“We’ve done quite a bit of TV work with the mast recently, including an advert for the Clydesdale Bank, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what appears on TV.”

The new series, featuring battered pollock, mushy peas, and lashings of gravy, gets under way on February 13 and the Emley programme is set to feature on March 13.